Circular vibrating conveyors



1965 K. M. ALLEN ETAL 3,217,864

CIRCULAR VIBRATING GONVEYORS Filed April 17, 1963 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 KENNETH M. ALLEN, CHESTER H. HAePEe,

IN VEN TORS.

5V BUG/(HORN, BLOEE, KLAEQUIST SPAR/(MAN ATTOENEYS Nov. 16, 1965 K. M. ALLEN ETAL 3,217,864

CIRCULAR VIBRATING CONVEYORS 10 Sheets-Sheet v3 Filed April 17, 1963 Fla. 8

LOW

POM/7' MAX/MUM DBPLACEMEX/T KENNETH M, ALLEN, CHESTER H. HARPER,

INVE/V 7095.

BUG/(HORN, BLOl-FE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN AT 7' ORA/E K5 Nov. 16, 1965 K. M. ALLEN ETAL 0 IRCULAR VIBRATING CONVEYORS I78 /70 [80 J /75 52 I9! z /96 I /90 I 200 6:? 208 l0 Sheets-Sheet 4 21!!!!15551 lllllmlll F n;

KENNETH M. ALLEN, CHESTER H. HAePE-E;

B) BUG/(HORN, BLORE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS Nov. 16, 1965 K. M. ALLEN ETAL 3,

O IRCULAR VIBRATING GONVEYORS KENNETH M. ALLEN, CHESTER H. HAEPEE,

//VVE/V7'0/?.S'. Y B) BUC/(HOR/V, BLORE, KLAROU/S T 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS Nov. 16, 1965 K. M. ALLEN ETAL 3,217,864

CIRCULAR VIBRATING CONVEYORS Filed April 1'7, 1963 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 420 :2 FIG- 24 KENNETH M. ALLEN, CHESTER H. HARPER,

lNVE/VTORS. B) BUG/(HORN, BLORE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS Nov. 16, 1965 K. M. ALLEN ETAL 3,217,864

CIRCULAR VIBRATING GONVEYORS Filed April 17, 1965 10 Sheets-Sheet a KENNETH M- ALL EN, CHESTER H. HARPER,

BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS Nov. 16, 1965 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed April 17, 1963 FIG. 28

INVENTORS.

BUG/(HORN, BLORE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS K. M. ALLEN ETAL 3,217,864 CIRCULAR VIBRATING CONVEYORS Nqv. 16, 1965 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed April 1'7, 1963 KENNETH M ALLEN, CHESTER H. HARPER,

INVENTORS.

BUC/(HOR/V, BLORE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,217,864 CIRCULAR VIBRATING CONVEYORS Kenneth M. Allen and Chester H. Harper, both of R0. Box 352, Newberg, Oreg. Filed Apr. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 277,974 36 Claims. ((11. 198-220) This invention relates to circular vibrating conveyors, and more particularly to translatory circular vibrating conveyors.

An object of the invention is to provide a translatory circular conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provid a conveyor which has a combined translatory and wobbling movement to provide incremental feed of material along the conveyor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a translatory conveyor in which an oscillatory movement also is provided in a direction normal to the translation of the conveyor and in such a phase relative to the translation of the conveyor as to feed material along the conveyor in a predetermined direction.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor having a combined translatory and wobbling motion such as to provide feed of material thereon in a predetermined direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a circular conveyor in which material may be fed in any desired direction relative to the conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a translatory conveyor having links which cause the conveyor to wobble as it is translated and with the links adjustable to different normal inclinations to vary the direction and amplitude of advancement of material by the conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide an im proved spiral elevator of the vibrating conveyor type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and strong spiral conveyor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a multi-stage spiral conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spiral conveyor including a plurality of interconnectable spiral segments.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a vibrating circular conveyor adapted to separate materials of different types.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vibrating circular conveyor screen.

A further object of the invention is to provide a multistage screen having a vibrating conveyor drive.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for wobbling a conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide an eccentric drive for a vibrating conveyor having low or zero unbalancing forces while the drive of the conveyor goes through the critical speed of the conveyor and increased unbalancing forces after the conveyor drive has gone through the critical speed thereof.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a vibrating system in which an unbalanced rotor is unbalanced to the same extent at all speeds of a shaft upon which the rotor is mounted but excessive vibration at a critical speed is substantially eliminated.

The present invention provides improved vibrating conveyors, and a vibrating conveyor forming one embodiment thereof includes a curved conveyor member to which is imparted translatory movement without permitting rotation thereof. There may be provided a mechanism for imparting to the conveyor a wobbling movement normal to the translatory movement thereof and at the same frequency as the translatory movement and bearing such a phase relationship to the translatory movement of the 3,217,864 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 conveyor member that material on the conveyor member is moved in a predetermined direction relative thereto. The mechanism preferably has adjustable means for adusting the Wobbler mechanism selectively to or between a position feeding material tangentially along the conveyor, a position feeding material radially inwardly relative to the conveyor and a position feeding material relatively outwardly. The mechanism also may adjust the amplitude of the wobbling to adjust the rate of feed. The conveyor may be adjusted to simultaneously feed two materials having diflerent feeding characteristics along the conveyor in diver-gent paths to separate the materials.

In a circular conveyor forming another embodiment of the invention, circular spiral sections are mounted in series with each other for the purpose of elevating material. Each of the sections is given a translatory movement and is prevented from rotation, and the sections are wobbled at the same frequency as the translation thereof with a predetermined phase relationship between the translation and the wobbling of the sections to cause the material to move upwardly along the spiral conveyor sections. Preferably the conveyor includes a Weighted stator frame suspended from the ceiling and an elongated shaft revolved by a crank drive carried by the frame, the shaft being connected to the spiral sections by tilted bearings to impart wobble to the spiral sections with a predetermined phase relationship relative to the revolution of the shaft to cause tangential feed of material up the spiral segments. In an alternate construction, the translatory movement of the spiral sections may be provided by unbalanced weights, one construction employing a cylindrical rotor member rotated about an axis eccentric to the central longitudinal axis thereof and carrying an annular rotor member concentrically thereon with a bearing mounting the annular member on the rotor for rotation relative thereto. When the rotor is brought from a stationary condition up through what would normally be the critical speed of the conveyor to a substantially higher operating speed, the annular member slips freely relative to the rotor so as to substantially eliminate excessive vi bration of the conveyor at such critical speed.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of circular vibrating conveyors forming specific embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a circular vibratingconveyor forming one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the conveyor taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the conveyor of FIG. 1 showing the link support for the conveyor trough in dotted lines;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan view of the conveyor of FIG. 1 illustrating the motion of the conveyor during its operation;

FIG. 9 shows a series of top plan views of a portion of the conveyor to illustrate the motion thereof during. operation in one condition of adjustment;

FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 9 but with the conveyor in a different condition of adjustment;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the conveyor of FIG. 1 illustrating the translatory motion of the conveyor during its operation for one condition of adjustment;

FIG. 11A is a vector diagram illustrating the phase relationship of translatory and wobbling motions of the conveyor adjusted as shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a circular vibrating conveyor forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view of a circular vibrating conveyor forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are horizontal sectional views taken along line 1515 of FIG. 14 illustrating the starting and operational positions of a balanced-unbalanced rotor deviceof the conveyor of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view of a circular vibrating conveyor forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of a circular vibrating conveyor separator forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 19 is a vertical sectional View taken along line 1919 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a vertical sectional view of a circular vibrating conveyor screening device forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 21 is a diagrammatic view of the several screens of the device of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a front elevation view of a spiral conveyor forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 23 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 2323 of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 24 -24 of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a horizontal sectional view of an unbalanced rotor device of the conveyor of FIG. 22;

FIG. 26 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 26-26 of FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a front elevation view of a spiral conveyor forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged, horizontal sectional view taken along line 28.28 of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken along line 2929 of FIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 30-30 of FIG. 27

FIG. 31 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevation view taken along line 31-31 of FIG. 30;

FIG. 32 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view taken along line 32-32 of FIG. 31; and

FIG. 33 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken along line 3333 of FIG. 30.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a circular vibrating conveyor 30 (FIGS. 1 to 11) forming one embodiment of the invention includes an annular or circular table-like conveyor trough or bed 32 having an inner cylindricalflange 34 and an outer cylindrical flange 36, the trough 32 being in the form of an upwardly facing channel, as illustrated best in FIG. 2. A spider 37 rigidly fixed to the conveyor trough is given a translatory movement in a circular path by a crank 38 driven by an electric motor 40 mounted on a base 41, pulleys 42 and 44 and a belt 46. The crank 38 includes a crankshaft 48 mounted in a vertical position by radial-andthrust bearings 50 supported by a tubular bearing holder 52 of a tabletop 53. The tabletop 53 is supported on the base 51 by posts 55. The crank 38 is drivingly connected to a hub 54 of the spider through a resilient bushing 56 surrounding a bearing 58 mounted on a crankpin 60. The crankpin 60 is eccentric to the crankshaft 48 and a counterweight 62 is keyedto the crankpin 60 to balance the crank. The crankpin 60 is connected by a sleeve or socketed coupling plate 64 to a crank arm coupling plate 66 of the crank, which is keyed to the shaft 48. Bolts 68 secure the coupling plate 64 to the coupling plate 66, and slots are provided in the coupling plate 66 to permit adjustment of the crankpin 60 relative to the crank shank 48 radially relative to the crank shank so that the eccentricity of the crankpin 60 relative to the shaft may be adjusted when desired. The coupling plates 64 and 66 are positioned in a counterbore or recessed portion 70 of the table top 53.

The hub 54 of the spider 37 fits closely over the resilient bushing 56, and web-like arms 72 are rigidly fixed to the hub 54 at their lower inner ends and have flanged upper ends 74 welded to the conveyor trough 32. The bearing 53 and resilient bushing 56 mount the hub 54 of the spider for limited tilting or wobbling movement relative to the crankpin 60. The conveyor trough is supported from the tabletop 53 by struts or links 76 having ball ends which fit into ball socket members 78 fixed rigidly to the bottom of the conveyor trough 32. Ball sockets 80 are carried by slides 82 adjustable along rotatably adjustable guideways 84. The guideways 84 are spaced around the tabletop 53 at 120 of arc from each other and equidistantly from the axis of the crankshaft 48. Tension springs 86 connected to the conveyor trough 32 and to the tabletop 53 hold the trough 32 against the strut-like links 76 to maintain the ball sockets 78 and 80 seated on the links 76 with the links 76 supporting the conveyor trough 32. The conveyor trough 32 and the spider 37 are held against rotation relative to the tablestop 53 by means of tension springs 88 fixed to one of the arms 72 and to posts 90 projecting vertically upwardly and secured rigidly at their lower ends to the tabletop 53. The ball sockets 78 are spaced equidistantly from the center of the trough 32 and are positioned at points spaced 120 around the trough from each other, the distance from each ball socket 78 to the center of the trough being equal to the distance from each shaft 98 to the center of the crankshaft 48.

The slides 82 and the guideways 84 are of dovetail construction to prevent upward movement of the slides 82 out of the guideways 84. Each of the slides 82 has a downwardly facing channel portion 92, as best illustrated in FIG. 6, having on the interior of one flange thereof a rack 94 meshing with a pinion 96. The pinion 96 fits into the channel 92 and is carried by and keyed to the shaft 98. The shafts 98 are journaled in bearing sleeves 100 fixed to the guideways 84. The bearing sleeves 100 are journaled in bearing portions 102 formed in the tabletop 53. Sprockets 104 are keyed to the sleeves 100 and sprockets 106 are keyed to the shafts 98. A chain 108 (FIGS. 5 and 6) connects the sprockets 104 to a gear segment 110 journaled on a shaft 112 fixed to the tabletop 53. The gear segment 110 has a handle 114 projecting through a slot 116. When the gear segment 110 is rotated by means of the handle 114, the chain 108 is driven to rotate the sprockets 104 and the hollow shafts 100 to turn the guideways 84 in the same direction and in synchronism with each other through any desired angle, the gear segment 11%) serving to rotate the guideways 84 through a range of 360. The longitudinal axes of the shafts 98 and hollow shafts 100 are spaced apart and each is spaced radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft 48 the same distance equal to the radial distance of each of the ball sockets 78 from the center of the circular conveyor trough 32.

The handle 114 has bearings 120 and 122 mounting a manually rotatable shaft 124 rotatably therein, the shaft 124 having a knob 126 at the outer end thereof and a bevel gear 128 at the inner end thereof. The bevel gear 128 meshes with a bevel gear 130 keyed to sprocket 132, both of which are rotatably mounted on the post or axle 112, which has a lower flange 136 and is rigidly fixed to the tabletop 53. When the shaft 124 is turned it rotates the bevel gear 128 and the bevel gear 130, which rotates the sprocket 132. The sprocket 132 meshes with a chain 138 (FIG. .2), which meshes with all the sprockets 106. The sprockets 106 are keyed to the shafts 98, and rotation of the sprocket 132 turns the sprockets 106 all in the same direction and in synchronism to turn the shafts 98 and the pinions 96. The pinions 96 move the slides 82 through the racks 94 all in the same direction relative to the guideways 84 and at the same rate. That is, as viewed in FIG. 7, movement of one of the slides 82 in a generally counterclockwise direction along the guideway 84 is accompanied by movement of the other slides along the guideways 84 in generally counterclockwise directions.

The slides 82 are movable to either side of a position in which the ball sockets 80 are positioned in vertical alignment with the shafts 98. When the slides 82 are centered relative to the guideways 84 to locate the ball sockets 80 in alignment with the shafts 98, the links 76 are always parallel to each other and no feeding action by the conveyor trough 32 occurs. T 0 feed material around the trough 32 in a counterclockwise direction the slides 82 are moved to positions in which the ball sockets 80 are spaced counterclockwise from the shafts 98 illustrated by their positions shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the slides 82 being positioned equidistantly counterclockwise from the neutral or center points thereof relative to the guideways 84.

With the slides 82 in the positions of adjustment shown in FIG. 4, when the crankpin 60 is revolved in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 8, by the shaft 48, the center of the crankpin 60 describes a circle of displacement 140 centered on axis 142 of the crankshaft 48. This causes the trough 32 to have a translatory motion with a point 141 having a circle of displacement 144 corresponding to the circle of displacement 140. The circle of displacement 144 is identical in size with the circle of displacement 140. The point 141 is directly above the center of the ball socket 78 connected to the upper end of the link 76 shown in FIG. 8. The action of the crankpin 60 on the circular conveyor trough 32 is to give the conveyor trough 32 a translatory movement in a circular path without rotation of the trough relative to the axis 142. This translatory motion may be described as translatory revolution of the conveyor trough. By the term translatory revolution it is intended to mean circular translation of the trough without rotation of the trough about the axis 142. Each point on the conveyor trough 32 will have a circle of displacement equal in diameter to the circle of displacement 144.

With the ball sockets 80 positioned farther counterclockwise around the trough 32 than the ball sockets 78, as in the adjustment shown in FIG. 7, and assuming counterclockwise rotation of the crank 38, as the link 76 moves from the bottom of the circle of displacement 144, as viewed in FIGS. 8 and 9, to the top thereof, the link 76 becomes more vertical so that the point 141 rises. When the point 141 reaches the top of the circle of displacement 144, the point 141 is at its maximum height. This point, in traveling on around the circle of displacement 144, moves down from the uppermost point of the circle of displacement 144 to the lowest height thereof at the bottom of the circle of displacement 144. During the upward movement of the point 141 it is raising up against any material on the conveyor trough 39 directly thereover and tends to move the material around the righthand half of the circle of displacement 144. During movement of the point 141 along the lefthand half of the circle of displacement 144, it tends to drop away from the material directly thereover and so as to not feed the material. Thus feeding at the point 141 tends to occur along the righthand half of the circle of displacement 144 and retraction of the point 141 from the material tends to occur during movement along the lefthand half of the circle of displacement 144. Each point supporting material in the conveyor trough 32 will describe a circle of displacement identical with the circle of displacement 144 and at each point the tendency is to feed material in the same direction relative to its respective radius 152.

The resultant of the feeding tendencies discussed in the preceding paragraph at the point 141 is in the direction of an arrow 150 of FIG. 9 and is normal to a radius 6 152 from the axis 142 to the center of any circle of displacement so that material fed tends to be tangentially at any point in the trough 32 and therefore around the trough. A heavy line 154 indicates the upward or feed half of the movement of the point 141 and a heavy line 156 illustrates the retraction or downward movement thereof.

As discussed more fully below, the feeding action at any point does not always start when such point begins its upward motion or stop when the point begins its downward motion. The actual direction of feeding at any point relative to the radius to that point depends upon such factors as the density and frictional characterists of the material as well as the rate and amplitudes of the translatory revolution and wobble ofthe conveyor trough. As also discussed below the direction of feed relative to the radius can be varied through 360 relative to the radius by changing the phase relationship between the translatory revolution and the wobble of the conveyor trough. For purposes of simplicity of explanation it will be assumed in the following paragraphs that the actual feeding accords with the theoretical explanation given above and that the feeding action starts at any point when that point begins its upward motion and stops when such point begins its downward motion. Any departure from the theoretical can be compensated by making a suitable adjustment of the phase relation mentioned above and discussed at length below.

To feed the material around the trough 32 in a direction with a radially outward component, the guideways 84 are swung in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 7, by moving the handle 114 in a counterclockwise direction. This moves the ball sockets and bottoms of the links 76 to the positions thereof shown in FIG. 10. This causes the direction of feed of the material at the point 141 of the trough 32 directly above the center of the ball socket 78 to be along arrow 160, and the point 141 travels a circle of displacement 162 with the upward movement of the point 141 occurring along the heavy line 1d? of the circle of displacement 162 to the right and below the arrow 160. Retracting or downward movement of the point 141 occurs during the upper lefthand portion of the circle of displacement 162 illustrated by heavy line 165. In this adjustment, the net movement of the material is substantially along the arrow 160 which has a substantial radial component as well as a tangential component. Similarly, to feed material with a radially inward component, the guideways for the ball sockets 80 are swung counterclockwise to position the ball sockets farther inwardly relative to the trough 32 than the positions shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The resultant feed at any point on the conveyor is in a direction from the lowerst position of such point toward the highest position of such point on the orbital path of the point due to translatory revolution. When the low point of the conveyor leads the maximum displacement of the conveyor with respect to the direction of translatory revolution, the direction of feed around the conveyor is in the direction of translatory revolution. When the lowest point of the conveyor lags the maximum displacement of the conveyor with respect to the direction of translatory revolution, the direction of feed of the material around the conveyor is in a direction opposite to that of the translatory revolution.

During the counterclockwise rotation of the crank 38 and with the setting of the ball sockets 80 relative to the ball sockets 78 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the direction of maximum displacement of the trough 32 from the axis in its translatory motion is in advance of the position of the high point of the trough with respect to the direction of translatory revolution of the conveyor. Thus, the point 141 is at its maximum height when the conveyor trough is at its extreme upward position, as viewed in FIG. 8. This maximum displacement is 90 in advance of the high point with respect to the resultant direction of travel of the material around the conveyor.

It will be apparent that with the adjustment of the ball sockets 80 relative to the ball sockets 78 as shown in FIG. 8, rotation of the shaft 48 and the crankpin 60 in the opposite or clockwise direction will still cause feeding movement of material along the trough in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 8. This will be apparent from the circle of displacement 144, the maximum displacement 144 still being uppermost as viewed in FIGS. 8 and 9, merely the direction of rotation of the circle of displacement being changed. The upward feeding movement of the point 141 will occur during the lefthand half of the circle of displacement 144, and the retracting, lowering of the point 141 will occur during the righthand half of the circle of displacement 144, and the high point of the conveyor leads the direction of maximum displacement of the conveyor by 90 with respect to the direction of the translatory revolution. It has been found, however, that the feeding operation is more effective when the direction of feed around the conveyor is the same as the direction of translatory revolution. The direction of movement of the material on the conveyor trough may be reversed by shifting the slides 82 to positions in which the ball sockets 80 are positioned clockwise around the trough from their respective shafts 98 and ball sockets 78. This shifts the direction of maximum displacement 180 and the material will travel clockwise around the trough. In this adjustment of the conveyor, if the crank 60 is revolved in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 8, the point 141 will travel the same circle of displacement 144 as shown, in the opposite direction and the direction of maximum displacement will be downwardly when the point 141 is at its highest elevation. The high point of the conveyor trough lags the direction of maximum displacement by 90 with respect to the direction of translatory revolution.

The material on the trough 32 will be conveyed directly radially outwardly relative to the conveyor trough 32 when the ball sockets 80 are in adjusted positions spaced directly radially outwardly from the shafts 98. Direct radially inward movement of the material is accomplished when the ball sockets 80 have been adjusted to positions directly radially inwardly from the shafts 98. Also, any intermediate position of the ball sockets 80 relative to the ball sockets 78 may be effected by the handle 14 and the gear sector 110 (FIG. so feed in any direction can be provided by suitable adjustment of the guideways 84. The amplitude of vertical movement of each point of the conveyor trough 32 is varied by adjusting the slides 82 along the guideways 84, the greater the slope provided to the links 76, the greater the amplitude of vertical movement of each point.

For tangential feed of material by the conveyor trough 32, the ball sockets 80 are poistioned on a tangent to a circle having its center at the axis 142 of the shaft 48 and a radius equal to the distance from each ball socket 78 to the center of the crankpin 60. The links 7 6 are never parallel to each other, but during revolution describe cones oriented identically relative to the axis of the crankpin 60. This has the effect of wobbling or tilting the trough 32 relative to the horizontal at the same frequency as the rate of revolution of the crankpin 60, and the high point of the trough moves circularly around the trough in the same direction as the direction of revolution of the crankpin 60, the high point lagging the maximum displacement of the trough 32 by 90 relative to the direction of translatory revolution when the conveyor is in the condition of adjustment shown in FIG. 8, the direction of feed being in the direction the ball sockets 80 are displaced tangentially of the conveyor trough with respect to the average circumferential position of the ball sockets 78 attached to the conveyor trough. As discussed previously this angle may have to be varied substantially from 90 to produce actual tangential feedings. It will be apparent that an angular displacement of the lowest portion (or highest portion) of the conveyor trough due to wobble from the direction of maximum translatory displacement of the conveyor will cause the tangential or circumferential component of feed around the trough to be from such highest portion of the conveyor toward the portion of the conveyor which is in the direction of such maximum translatory displacement and on toward such lowest portion of the trough.

Half the conveyor trough 32 may be used for connecting two oppositely traveling conveyors. The conveyor trough also may be positioned to receive material at one point thereon and carry the material around an arc thereof to another conveyor taking material therefrom. The conveyor 30 also may be used to separate materials having different feed characteristics, when used for separating purposes. That is to say the conveyor will usually provide a radial component movement of a first material in one direction and a radial component of a second material in the opposite direction to collect the first material along the flange 34 and the second material along the flange 36.

In a circular vibrating conveyor (FIGS. 12 and 13) forming an alternate embodiment of the invention, a circular conveyor trough 172 is carried by a spider 174 having a hub 176 mounted rotatably on bearings 178 supported by an inner bearing race or bushing 180. The bushing 180 has a cylindrical outer surface 182 which is centered on but is canted or tilted relative to a crankpin 184 to which the bushing 180 is keyed. The degree of cant or tilt is relatively small, preferably only a few degrees and usually less than 1. The crankpin 184 also carries a counterbalancing weight 186 keyed thereto. The crankpin 184 is integral with coupling plate 188 bolted to coupling plate 190. The plate 190 is integral with the shaft 192. The plate 188 is adjustable radially relative to the crankshaft 192 by means of bolts 194 and slots 196 for varying the eccentricity of the crank. The bushing 180 has a base plate 191 securable to the plate 188 by screws 193. Several angularly spaced tapped bores for receiving the screws 193 are provided in the plate 188 and the plate 191 may have arcuate slots therein to permit rotative adjustment of the bushing 180 relative to the crankpin 184. The crankshaft 192 is mounted in bearings 198 carried by a sleeve 200 of tabletop 202, and is rotated by pulleys 204 and 206, a belt 208 and an electric motor 210 mounted on base 212. The spider 1'74 and conveyor trough 172 are held against rotation while driven with translatory motion by springs (not shown) like the springs 88 of the conveyor 30. As the shaft 192 revolves the crankpin 184 and the tilted or canted bushing 188 therewith, wobble is imparted to the spider 174 and conveyor trough 72, as well as translatory revolution, and the material is fed around the trough 172 preferably in the direction of rotation of the shaft 192. For tangential, i.e. circular feed of the material, the high point of the trough lags the translational displacement of the trough 172 by 90 with respect to the direction of feed so that the cant or tilt is at right angles to the direction of eccentricity between the crankpin 184 and the crankshaft 192. For radial feed of the material the maximum cant of the bushing 180 is positioned in a plane which is parallel to the direction of eccentricity of the crankpin 184 relative to the crankshaft 192, and intermediate positions for partially tangential feed and partially radial feed may be provided by adjusting the bushing 180 to intermediate positions relative to the direction of eccentricity of the crankpin 184.

In a circular vibrating conveyor 214 (FIGS. 14, 15 and 16) forming an alternate embodiment of the invention, translatory motion in a circular path of translatory revolution is imparted to a conveyor trough 216 by an unbalanced rotor device 218, of the type disclosed and claimed in our copending application Serial No. 240,343, filed Nov. 27, 1962. The device 218 is driven by a shaft 220 mounted in a radial-and-thrust bearing 222 seated in a resilient bushing 224. The bushing 224 is carried by a cup-shaped support 226 supported by base 228. A motor 230 serves to rotates the shaft 220, and wobbling motion is imparted to the conveyor trough 216 by a tilted or canted bushing 232 keyed to the shaft 220 and forming the inner race of a radial-and-thrust bearing 234 supporting a spider 236 carrying the conveyor trough 216. The balanced-unbalanced rotor device 218 has a fixed unbalancing weight 237 and pivotal balancing weights 238, which, after the rotor device is brought up to a speed above the critical speed of the conveyor, swing outwardly to cause unbalance of the device 218, as illustrated in FIG. 16. A spring 239 urges the weights 238 toward balancing positions. During rotation of the shaft above critical speed, the rotor device 218 causes the upper end of the shaft 220 to move in a circular path at the same r.p.m. as the rotor device. Thus the resilient bushing 224- permits the shaft to be tilted relative to the vertical by the action of the balanced-unbalanced rotor device 218. This provides circular translation or translational revolution of the conveyor trough. Posts 240 and springs 241 prevent rotation of the conveyor trough. The tilted bushing 232 imparts wobbling motion to the trough 216 in a predetermined phase relationship to the translatory motion of the trough 216, the tilt of the bushing 232 being in a plane at right angles to the direction of eccentricity of the center of gravity of the motor device 218 for feed of the material around the trough 216. In a preferred construction, the tilt of the top of the bushing is such that the bushing is tilted to the right, as viewed in FIG. 14, when the weight 237 is positioned on the remote side of the shaft 220, as viewed in FIG. 14, and the shaft 220 is rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 15. This causes counterclockwise feed of the material around the trough 216 as the trough is viewed from the top. The tilt of the bushing relative to the shaft 220 is preferably between somewhat less than one degree and about three degrees.

A circular vibrating conveyor 244 (FIG. 17), forming an alternate embodiment of the invention, is similar to the conveyor 214 but has a balanced-unbalanced rotor device 245 mounted on a shaft 246 below resilient journaling and supporting structure 247 rather than at the top of the shaft where the device 218 is mounted. A conveyor trough 248 is mounted by a spider 250 and a radial-andthrust bearing 251 on the shaft 246. The radial-andthrust bearing 251 includes a tilted or canted bushing 252 tilted in a plane at right angles to the direction of unbalance of the rotor device 245 to impart wobble to the conveyor trough 248. Posts 253 carrying springs 254 prevent rotation of the conveyor trough 248 during the translatory and wobbling motion imparted thereto. A motor 255 drives the shaft 246.

A circular vibrating conveyor 260 (FIGS. 18 and 19) forming an alternate embodiment of the invention is in the form of a separator for separating two different materials 262 and 264 having different densities or different frictional characteristics or both. The conveyor 260 includes a circular or annular conveyor trough 266 to which wobbling and translatory revolution is imparted to feed in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 18, the materials 262 and 264 dropped in mixed condition from a supply pipe or chute 268. The conveyor feeds the material 262 radially inwardly somewhat and the material 264 radially outwardly somewhat, and conveys both materials along the conveyor trough 266. An inwardly located discharge port 270 receives the material 262, and an outwardly located discharge port 272 receives the material 264. Stop plates 274 and 276 are provided at the ends of the ports 272, and an arcuate, wedge-shaped separator 278 extends along the central portion of the discharge end portion of the trough 266. Chutes 280 and 282 are provided for receiving the materials so separated. The reason that the feed of the material 262 has a radially inward component and the feed of the material 264 has a radially outward component somewhat is due to the difference in the feeding characteristics or properties of the two materials. The material 264 has a greater density or a greater coefficient of friction with respect to the surface of the trough than the material 262 and is therefore moved during an earlier stage in the rising or feeding half of the circle of displacement of each point of the conveyor trough. The driving structure of the conveyor 260 of FIGS. 18 and 19 may be the same as that of the conveyor 30 of FIGS. 1 to 9. Assuming the adjustment of the ball sockets of the conveyor 260 corrpesonding to the ball sockets of the conveyor 30 to the position of the socket 80 as shown in FIG. 10 and the translatory motion to be counterclockwise, the material 264 having a high feed characteristic is fed substantially in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 10 and the material 262 having a lower feed characteristic is not fed during the lower portion of the heavy line 163 and is fed throughout the remainder of the heavy line 163. Consequently, the material 262 will be moved in a resultant direction diverging angularly to the left from the arrow 160. The driving structure is so adjusted that the material 262 is fed inwardly somewhat and the material 264 is fed outwardly somewhat as the materials are advanced around the conveyor trough.

Circular vibrating conveyor troughs 285, 286, 287 and 288 (FIGS. 20 and 21) are incorporated in a multistage screening device 290 forming an alternate embodiment of the invention. The conveyor troughs 285 to 288 are positioned vertically above one another. The trough 288 is carried by radial-and-thrust bearing 292 on a shaft 294 carrying balanced-unbalanced rotor devices 296 and 298 similar to the device 218 (FIG. 15), and the shaft 294 is connected by universal joints 300 and a splined coupling 301 to a drive shaft 302 journaled by radialand-thrust bearing 304 and driven by an electric motor 306. Springs 308 connected to post 310 and bearings 312 bias the shaft 294 toward axial alignment with the shaft 302, three springs being provided for each of the bearings 312 and positioned substantially equiangularly apart. The troughs 285, 286 and 287 are journaled by bearings 314 and resilient bushings 316 on the shaft 294. Links 318 are provided connecting the troughs 285 to 288, the links being seated in ball sockets 3:20 and 322 and serving to support each of the troughs 285, 286 and 287 by means of the trough immediately therebelow, the trough 288 serving to support all of the troughs 285, 286 and 287. Springs 324 connected to the posts 310 and to the troughs prevent rotation of the troughs.

The shaft 302 drives the shaft 294 and the rotor devices 296 and 298 to impart translatory revolution to the troughs 285 to 288, and the bearing 292 includes a canted or tilted bushing 328 keyed to the shaft 294. The bushing 328 imparts a wobbling motion to the trough 288, which wobbling motion is imparted to the troughs 285, 286 and 287 through the links 318, the wobbling motion of each of the troughs being in phase with the wobbling motion of all the other troughs. The translatory motion and the wobbling motion serve to feed material supplied to the trough 285 from a supply pipe 330 along a screening bottom portion 332 of the trough 285 to a discharge opening 338 into a chute 339, the feed being counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 21. Before the material reaches the opening 338, all the particles which may be dropped through the openings in the screen 332 drop through these openings into the trough 286, which is a collecting trough having a discharge port 342. The material from the discharge port 342 drops down onto the conveyor trough 287 for further screening. The material is screened by a screening bottom 346 of the trough 287 and the finer material will pass through the openings in the screen bottom 346 and drop into the trough 288 which is a collector trough. The particles too large to drop through the screen bottom 346 drop through a discharge opening 352 to a chute 354. The material on the trough 288v 1 It is fed through a discharge opening 348 to a discharge chute 350.

A circular vibrating conveyor 360 (FIGS. 22 to 26) forming an alternate embodiment of the invention is in the form of a spiral elevating conveyor which, in effect, is a multistage circular vibrating conveyor and includes circular conveyor troughs 361 to 367, each of slightly over 360 spiral extent and connected in series or in tandem with one another. Translatory circular motion and wobbling motion are imparted to each of the troughs and material is fed to the lower end of the trough 367 by a supply or feed chute 368, and the uppermost trough 361 discharging the elevated material into an exit or discharge chute 376 connected to the end thereof. An electric motor 372 drives a drive shaft 374, preferably in the same direction as that in which the troughs spiral upwardly, through pulleys 376 and 378 and a belt 380, the shaft 374 being supported by a radial-and-thrust hearing 382 carried by frame supported by posts 386. A universal joint 388 is connected by a splined coupling link 390 to a second universal joint 392 to drivingly couple the shaft 374 to shaft 394. The shaft 394 is journaled in radial-and-thrust bearings 396 urged toward a position in alignment with the shaft 374 by springs 398. The radial-and-thrust bearing 396 is supported by springs 402 from the grame 384.

Each of the troughs 361 to 367 is rigidly supported by a spider 410 journaled on the shaft 394 by a bearing 412 including a canted or tilted bushing 414 keyed to the shaft 394, the bushings 414 each being tilted realtive to the shaft 394 and being parallel to each of the other bushings 414. Eccentric rotor devices 420, one for each of the troughs 361 to 367, are positioned on the shaft above each of the troughs 361 to 367. The revolution of the shaft 394 around the axis of the shaft 374 is permitted by the springs 398, the extensible coupling link 390 and the universal joints 388 and 392. A spring 424 is connected to one of the posts 386 and to the trough 365 to prevent rotation of the trough 365 relative to the post 386. Each of the troughs 361, 362, 363, 364, 366 and 367 is connected to the trough 365 by a resilient rod 430 of nylon or the like, extending through lugs 432. The lugs 432 are connected to straps 434 connecting the upper and lower ends of each of the troughs 361 to 365 to each ather. Thus the upper end of the trough 361 is connected to the lower end of the trough 361 by means of one of the straps 434, and, similarly, the other straps 434 connect the respective ends of the troughs 362 to 365 together sothat each of the troughs is a rigid unit. The upper end of each of the troughs 362 to 367 overlaps the lower end 440 of the trough immediately thereabove to permit movement of the ends of the troughs so coupled together relative to each other while providing for feed of material from each lower trough to the trough immediately thereabove.

During the operation of the conveyor 360, material is supplied to the lower end of the lowermost trough 367 from the chute 368 and is conveyed sprially upwardly by the several troughs and is discharged into the discharge chute 370. The eccentric rotor devices 420 provide unbalanced weights which rotate with the shaft 394 and also cause the shaft 394 to revolve about the center of gravity of the system including the rotor and the troughs and their loads. This imparts translatory revolution to each of the troughs 361 to 367 individually through the connecting bearings 412. The canted bushings 414 wobble the troughs 361 to 367 parallel to each other to provide individual wobbling movement to each of the troughs in phase with the wobbling movements of the other troughs. The material is fed circularly up the spiral troughs 361 to 367 with the wobbling and translatory revolution providing the lifting action and circumferential motion. The wobbling is such that the high point of each of the troughs lags the displacement of the troughs by at least 90, and usually between 90 and i2 the rotation of the shaft 394 being counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 23.

Each eccentric rotor device 420 includes a bushing 444 mounted eccentrically on the shaft 394 and keyed thereto. The bushing 444 carries an annular weight 446 concentrically thereon by means of a radial-and-thrust bearing 448. The weights 420 have high inertia and tend to remain stationary so far as rotation is concerned. Thus, the conveyor can be brought from a starting stationary condition through the critical speed of the conveyor without substantial rotation of the weights 420. The conveyor more rapidly comes up to speed as it is unnecessary to rapidly accelerate the weights 420 in a circumferential direction. However, the weights 446 are given translatory revolution and it is the reaction to the acceleration of the weights due to such motion which produces the translatory rotation of the conveyor trough and enhances the reaction to the similar acceleration of the trough. The result is the substantial elimination of any critical speed as the action of the weights is the same for speeds during the bringing of the conveyor up to speed. Rota tion of the weights about their central axis could be prevented by tangential springs but this is unnecessary. The weights 420 gradually assume substantially the rotational speed of the bushings 444 due to friction in the bearings for the weights. During stopping of the apparatus the shaft 394 and bushings 444 rapidly drop from the operational speed through the critical speed to a stop since it is unnecessary to stop the rotation of the weights 446. The'weights 420' gradually coast to a stop.

The above descriptions of the feeds of the material are theoretical, and assume that there is no slippage of the material as each point on each conveyor starts to raise and that feed occurs only during the rising half of the cycle. In practice, there is slippage at the start of the rise, which varies with different materials, and the feed continues slightly beyond the start of the drop of each point, which drop is slow in the initial portion of the dropping half of each cycle. Actually the feed of a low density, low friction material may not start until the point has been rising for a substantial portion of the rising half of the circle, particularly where the translatory velocity of the point is high, and, once started, the feed of the material does not stop until the downward acceleration of each point is sufiicient to break the feeding engagement of the point'with the material. In practice, each conveyor will be adjusted to provide the phase relationship achieving the desired resultant feed.

A spiral conveyor .50 (FIGS. 27 to 33) forming an alternate embodiment of the invention includes a rigid stator framework 452 having rigid, hollow, arcuate side frames 454 filled with a weighing material such as sand and rigidly secured at their bottom ends to a bottom plate 456 and at their top ends to a rigid crossframe 458. The stator framework is supported solely by cables 460 fixed by connectors 462 to the crossframe 458 and by connectors 464 to ceiling structure 466 of the building in which the conveyor 450 is installed.' Thus, the stator framework 452 is suspended from and supported by the ceiling structure 466. The stator framework supports electric motor 470 on the crossframe 458 by a bracket 472. The motor drives a pulley 474 by means of a pulley 476 and a belt 478, and the pulley 474 drives a crankshaft structure including a drive shaft 480, a crank rotor 482 (FIG. 28) journaled by a radial-and-thrust bearing 484 in the crossframe 458, and a shaft 486. The shaft 480 revolves the shaft 486 counterclockwise about the center of rotation of the crank rotor and drive shaft 480. The shaft 486 carries rotors 490 (FIG. 30) eccentrically thereon, and the rotors 490 are journaled in bearings 492 carrier rigidly by arms 494 fixed rigidly to one of the side frames 454. The bearings 492 and rotors 490 give lateral support to the shaft 486 as it is revolved. The eccentricity of the shaft 486 relative to the rotors 490 is identical with the eccentricity of the shaft 486 relative to the crank rotor 482, and the bearings 492 are aligned with the bearing 484. Several bearings 492 are provided at points spaced vertically from each other along the shaft 486 to provide lateral support for the shaft 486. At its lower end, the shaft 486 is journaled in a bearing 498, which has an eccentric rotor therein and is aligned with the bearings 492 and 484. The bearing 498 is fixed to the bottom plate 456 and provides radial and thrust support for the eccentric rotor on the lower end of the shaft 486.

The shaft 486 supports, wobbles and imparts circular translatory motion to spiral conveyor troughs 500 through tilted or canted bearings 502 and spiders 504 rigidly connected to and supporting the troughs 500. Each bearing 502 includes an inner bushing 506 having a tilted or canted race portion 508 and being keyed to the shaft 486 and held against sliding movement along the shaft 486.

Each bearing 502 also includes balls 510 supporting outer annular race members 512 are fixed rigidly to hubs 514 rigid with the spiders 504. The cant of the portion 508 of each bushing 506 is positioned at the same predetermined angle relative to the eccentricity of the crank 482 to provide the phase relationship achieving the desired feed, and is tilted to a predetermined angle relative to the vertical axis of the shaft 486 to provide the desired amplitude of vertical motion to the troughs during the webbling thereof.

Each trough 500 extends somewhat more than 360 so that the upper end of each trough overlaps and is positioned above the lower end of the next trough thereabove, as shown best in FIG. 31. The two ends of each spiral trough 500 are connected rigidly together by a strap 520, and the several straps are connected resiliently together by a bar 522 so that they wobble parallely and individually. The bar 522 is connected to the straps 520 by resilient coupling devices 524 each including a headed resilient bushing or grommet 526 and a bolt 528 passing through the grommet 526 and a nut 530 and a washer 532. The grommet passes through a hole 534 in the bar 522, which is brazed or otherwise rigidly secured to flange 538 of the trough 500. A second bar 550 positioned substantially diametrically opposite to the bar 522 connects the other sides of the trough 500 resiliently to each other. The bar 550 is connected by resilient coupling devices 552 to plates 554 brazed to the flange 538. The bars 522 and 550 and the coupling devices 524 and 552 permit individual wobbling of the troughs 500 while connecting them resiliently together to limit movement of the troughs relative to each other and prevent relative rotation of the troughs. A spring 558 (FIG. 30) serves to limit rotation of the troughs 500 relative to the framework 452.

In a method of making each trough 500 forming one embodiment of the invention, an annular endless trough is formed by spinning to the cross-sectional shape of eachtrough 500, after which each trough is cut transversely at one point therealong to form the two ends thereof. The two ends of the trough then are displaced vertically relative to each other and are pulled into overlapping positions relative to each other so that the upper end of each trough will overlap the lower end of the trough which extends upwardly therefrom. The straps 520 then are rigidly secured to the ends of the trough to hold them in their displaced and overlapping positions.

In the operation of the conveyor 450, the crank rotor 482 is rotated at an operating speed by the motor 470, belt 478, pulley 474 and shaft 480, and revolves the shaft 486 which effects translatory revolution of the troughs 500. Wobble in a predetermined phase relationship is imparted to the troughs to provide for vertical oscillation of each point of the troughs 500 to feed material upwardlyfrom the bottom trough to the top trough. The cable suspension of the framework 452 serves to mount it floatingly so that vibration is effectively isolated from the building 466. The framework 452 being weighted with the sand in the hollow side frames 454 is so heavy relative to the revolved and translated elements that it has only slight translatory movement as a reaction of the revolution of the shaft 486 eccentrically relative thereto and the translatory revolution of the conveyor troughs 500.

In one constructed embodiment of the vibratory conveyor 450, the crank rotor 482 and the shaft 486 had an eccentricity of about inch to provide displacement circles of the troughs 500 of approximately inch. About 1500 pounds of sand were contained in the hollow side frames 452 and fifteen troughs 500 were provided. The tilted bearings 502 were fixed to the shaft 486 to provide a lag of the high point of each trough relative to the direction of maximum displacement of each trough of about degrees for feeding low density and low friction material such as, for example, potato chips, upwardly along the troughs. The angle of tilt of the race portions 508 of the bushings 506 relative to the axis of the shaft 486 was about 45'. The conveyor served excellently to elevate potato chips with a fast but gentle feeding action thereon with the feed of the chips being primarily tangential.

The above described conveyors are simple and inexpensive in construction, are rugged and require relatively little maintenance. The operation thereof is quite simple and they are highly effective to feed, separate and screen materials.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof. What is claimed is:

1. In a vibrating conveyor,

a plurality of spiral troughs,

means mounting the troughs centered on a vertical axis with the troughs positioned in series relationship relative to each other,

means articulately connecting the adjacent ends of the troughs to each other,

means for supporting the troughs,

means for preventing rotation of the troughs,

means for imparting circular translatory motion to the troughs at a predetermined frequency,

and means for imparting wobbling movement to the troughs to feed material up the troughs.

2. In a vibrating conveyor,

a plurality of spiral troughs each of substantially 360,

means mounting the troughs centered on a vertical axis with the troughs extending in series relationship relative to each other,

resilient coupling means connecting the adjacent ends of the troughs to each other,

means for supporting the troughs,

means for preventing rotation of the troughs,

means for imparting circular translatory motion to the troughs at a predetermined frequency,

and means for imparting wobbling movement individually to the troughs to feed material up each of the troughs.

3. In a vibrating conveyor,

a plurality of spiral troughs each of substantially 360 and centered on a vertical axis, a plurality of straps each rigidly connecting the upper and lower ends of one of the troughs,

means connecting the adjacent ends of the troughs to each other for feed and permitting relative motion therebetween,

means for supporting the troughs and imparting circular wobbling motion individually to the troughs, means for preventing rotation of the troughs,

and means for imparting circular translatory motion to the troughs at a predetermined frequency.

4. In a vibrating conveyor,

a plurality of spiral troughs each of substantially 360",

a vertical shaft,

a plurality of radial-and-thrust bearing means each having a tilted bushing keyed to the shaft and spaced along the shaft from each other,

a plurality of spider means mounting the troughs on the bearing means in positions extending in series relationship relative to each other,

means feedingly connecting the adjacent ends of the troughs to each other and permitting relative motion between said adjacent ends of the troughs,

means for preventing rotation of the troughs,

and means revolving the shaft about a vertical axis and rotating the shaft to impart circular translatory motion to the troughs at a predetermined frequency and cause the tilted bushings to impart wobbling movement individually to the troughs to feed material up each of the troughs.

5. In a vibrating conveyor,

a'frame,

a first shaft,

means mounting the first shaft rotatably in a vertical position on'the top of the frame,

means for rotating the first shaft,

a second shaft,

a first universal coupling connected to the first shaft,

a second universal coupling connected to the second shaft,

a splined extensible coupling drivingly connecting the universal coupling together,

means for supporting the second shaft from the frame and urging the second shaft toward a position aligned with the first shaft,

unbalanced weight means keyed to the second shaft for causing the second shaft to revolve around the extended axis of the first shaft,

a plurality of spiral troughs each of substantially 360,

means coupling the troughs to the second shaft and mounting the troughs in positions one above another with the troughs extending in series relationship relative to each other to impart circular translatory motion to the troughs at a predetermined frequency,

means for preventing rotation of the troughs relative to the frame,

and wobbler means for imparting wobbling movement individually to the troughs to feed material up each of the troughs.

6. The vibrating conveyor of claim wherein the coupling means and the wobbler means include a plurality of radial-and-thrust bearings each including a bushing keyed to and fixed to the shaft and having an exterior bearing surface tilted relative to the shaft,

and a plurality of members connecting the troughs to the bearings.

7. The vibrating conveyor of claim 5 wherein the unbalanced weight means includes a plurality of eccentric rotors keyed to the shaft in aligned spaced positions relative to one another and located between adjacent troughs.

8. In a vibrating conveyor,

a generally circular conveyor bed,

a base,

a plurality of links universally pivotally connected to the bed at spaced points thereon and universally connected to the base for pivotal movement relative thereto,

means for preventing rotation of the bed relative to the base,

and means for translationally revolving the bed relative to the base as permitted by the links,

the links being inclined substantially the same relatively to the center of the bed when the bed is centered relative to the base.

9. The vibrating conveyor of claim 8 wherein each 0f l 6 the links is inclined tangentially in the same direction around the conveyor.

10. The vibrating conveyor of claim 8 wherein each of the links extends upwardly and radially outwardly relative to the conveyor bed.

11. The vibrating conveyor of claim 8 wherein each of the links extends upwardly and radially inwardly relative to the conveyor bed.

12. The vibrating conveyor of claim 8 wherein there is provided a crankshaft,

a spider supporting the conveyor bed having a central bearing portion on the crankshaft,

an eccentric drive,

and means for rotating the crankshaft.

13. The vibrating conveyor of claim 8 including a plurality of slides on the base slidably connecting the lower ends of the links to the slides,

means for moving the slides to adjust the inclination of the links,

and means for turning the slides to adjust the direction of inclination of the links.

14. In a vibrating conveyor,

a shaft,

a crank member fixed eccentrically relative to the shaft,

means for rotating the shaft to revolve the crank member,

a circular conveyor bed,

a spider member having a central bearing portion mounted on the crank member and arms connected to the conveyor bed for translating the bed,

means for preventing rotation of the bed and permitting translation of the bed,

and a plurality of struts positioned around the bed and pivotally connected to the bed for supporting the bed and wobbling the bed in a predetermined phase relationship with respect to movement of the crank during translation of the bed.

15. In a vibrating conveyor,

a circular conveyor bed,

a shaft,

means for rotating the shaft,

a bearing member mounted on the shaft and tilted relative to the shaft,

means connecting the bearing member to the conveyor bed to impart movement to the conveyor bed from the shaft,

means for revolving the shaft around a central axis,

and means for preventing rotation of the conveyor bed with the shaft.

'16. In a vibrating conveyor,

a circular conveyor bed,

a shaft,

means for rotating the shaft,

a bearing member mounted on the shaft and tilted relative to the shaft,

means connecting the bearing member to the conveyor bed for imparting movement to the conveyor bed from the shaft,

an unbalanced weight carried by the shaft and revolved by the shaft for swinging the shaft around a central -ax1s,

resilient bearing means supporting the shaft and permitting tilting movement of the shaft during the revolution thereof,

and means for preventing rotation of the conveyor bed with the shaft.

17. The vibrating conveyor of claim '16 in which the resilient bearing means is mounted below the weight and the bearing member.

1'8. The vibrating conveyor of claim 16 wherein the unbalanced weight is mounted below the resilient bearing means and the resilient bearing means is mounted below the bearing member.

19. In a vibrating conveyor,

a circular conveyor bed,

means for imparting translatory movement in a circular path to each point of the bed spaced from the center thereof,

means for preventing rotation of the bed,

means for wobbling the bed in such a phase relationship with respect to the translatory movement of the bed that first particles of one material move around the bed and radially outwardly of the 'bed and second particles of a second material having feed characteristics different from those of the first particles are moved around the bed and radially inwardly relative to the bed,

means for receiving the first particles from the bed at a point near the outer portion of the bed,

and means for receiving the second particles from the bed at a point near the inner portion of the bed.

20. In a vibrating conveyor,

a shaft,

means for rotating the shaft,

means for wobbling the shaft as it is rotated,

an unbalanced weight on the shaft for revolving the shaft as it is rotated,

a bushing mounted on the shaft and tilted relative to the shaft,

bearing means carried by the tilted bushing,

a circular conveyor bed carried by the bearing means,

and means for preventing rotation of the conveyor bed with the shaft.

21. In a vibrating conveyor,

a shaft,

means for revolving the shaft,

means for revolving the shaft about a predetermined center as it is rotated,

a first circular conveyor trough,

bearing means connecting the first circular conveyor trough to the shaft,

a second circular conveyor trough,

second bearing means connecting the second circular conveyor trough to the shaft in a position below the first circular conveyor trough,

means for wobbling one of the conveyor troughs,

and a plurality of links supporting the other of the conveyor troughs from said one of the conveyor troughs for wobbling the said other conveyor trough in phase with said one of the conveyor troughs.

22. In a vibrating conveyor,

a shaft,

bearing means mounting the shaft for universal pivotal movement,

means for rotating the shaft,

eccentric weight means for revolving the shaft about a predetermined center as it is rotated,

a first thrust bearing,

a circular conveyor trough carried by the first thrust bearing having a screening portion,

a second conveyor trough,

a second thrust bearing carrying the second conveyor trough below the screen of the first conveyor trough,

means for wobbling the second conveyor trough as the shaft is revolved,

and a plurality of struts pivotally connecting the first conveyor trough to the second conveyor trough for wobbling the first conveyor trough in phase with the second conveyor trough.

23. In an unbalanced rotor device for vibrating a vibrating conveyor element,

a shaft,

means for rotating the shaft,

an eccentric weight keyed to the shaft,

means for rotating the weight about an axis eccentric to the center thereof,

an annular weight having an external diameter subbrating conveyor element,

a cylindrical weight,

means for rotating the cylindrical weight on a predetermined nominal axis of rotation eccentric to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical weight, the weight having a predetermined diameter,

an annular weight having an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the eccentric weight,

and bearing means mounting the annular weight rotatably on the eccentric weight.

25. In an unbalanced rotor device for vibrating a vibrating conveyor element,

an annular weight,

an eccentric weight, A

means for revolving the eccentric weight about a predeterrnined axis,

and means mounting the annular weight on the eccentric weight and permitting rotation of the eccentric weight relative to the annular Weight.

26. In an unbalanced rotor device for vibrating an element of a vibrating conveyor,

an eccentric Weight having a predetermined diameter,

means for rotating the eccentric Weight about a nominal axis eccentric to the center of the longitudinal axis of the weight,

an annular weight,

and means mounting the annular weight concentrically on the eccentric Weight and coupling the annular weight to the eccentric weight for unlimited slipping movement of the eccentric weight relative to the annular weight.

27. In a vibrating conveyor,

a conveyor element,

an unbalanced rotor,

means connecting the unbalanced rotor to the conveyor element to vibrate the conveyor element,

means for rotating the unbalanced rotor,

an annular rotor,

and means coupling the annular rotor to the unbalanced rotor for unlimited rotative slipping motion of the annular rotor relative to the unbalanced rotor.

28. In a vibratory conveyor,

a plurality of spiral troughs each slightly greater than 360,

a plurality of straps each connecting the two ends of one of the troughs together,

coupling means for connecting the troughs together for articulation to prevent relative rotation therebetween,

means for wobbling the troughs individually,

and means for imparting translatory revolution to the troughs.

29. The vibratory conveyor of claim 28 wherein the coupling means includes a bar, and means connecting the straps to the bar for limited pivotal movement between each strap and the bar.

30. The vribratory conveyor of claim 28 wherein the coupling means includes a vertical member,

and means connecting the troughs pivotally to the vertical member.

31. In a vibratory conveyor,

a vertical shaft,

crank means for revolving the shaft,

elongated spiral conveyor means including a plurality of articulated spiral segments,

and a plurality of tilted bearing means coupling the shaft to the spiral segments to impart translatory 19 circular movement and wobbling movement to the spiral segments. 32. The vribratoryconveyor of claim 31 wherein each bearing means includes a tilted bushing keyed to the shaft at such an angle relative to the revolution of the shaft as to cause the high point of the wobbling movement to lag the extreme of the translatory movement of each spiral segment by a predetermined angle.

33. The vibratory conveyor of claim 32 wherein said predetermined angle is about 135.

34. In a vibratory conveyor,

weighted frame means,

means for suspending the frame means,

crank means carried rotatably by the frame means,

drive means for rotating the crank means,

spiral conveyor element means,

' and bearing means coupling the spiral conveyor element means to the crank means for imparting circular translation to the spiral conveyor element means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Root 209302 Symons 209-302 Overwad 29-428 Stuck 29-428 Spurlin 198-220 Carrier 198220 X Behrent et a1. 259-1 Carrier 198-220 20 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM B. LABORDE, Examiner. 

1. IN A VIBRATING CONVEYOR, A PLURALITY OF SPIRAL TROUGHS, MEANS MOUNTING THE TROUGHS CENTERED ON A VERTICAL AXIS WITH THE TROUGHS POSITIONED IN SERIES RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, MEANS ARTICULATELY CONNECTING THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE TROUGHS TO EACH OTHER, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE TROUGHS, MEANS FOR PREVENTING ROTATION OF THE TROUGHS, MEANS FOR IMPARTING CIRCULAR TRANSLATORY MOTION TO THE TROUGHS AT A PREDETERMINED FREQUENCY, AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING WOBBLING MOVEMENT TO THE TROUGHS TO FEED MATERIAL UP THE TROUGHS. 